[Steve_Seattle]

Maybe the passenger car of the future will be a much lighter, much slower vehicle requiring considerably less power than fossil fuels can provide. If cars shed 1,000 pounds and have a max speed of 35-40 mph, alternate lighter fuels might be good enough. I bet about 80-90% of most people's driving is done at less than 40 m.p.h.

[EEDUDE]

"Maybe the passenger car of the future will be a much lighter, much slower vehicle requiring considerably less power than fossil fuels can provide."

The first car I ever owned was a 1961 Studebaker Lark. (No I'm not THAT old! I bought it from my grandmother when she bought a new car.)

It had a 230 Cu.In. V8, a three speed manual transmission with overdrive, and an aftermarket air-conditioner. It was made of HEAVY steel.

I consistently got 28 MPG on the highway at 70 MPH with the AC on! If you've ever seen one you know they are not exactly aerodynamic.

What many don't realize about modern vehicle emissions technology is that lower emissions ALWAYS comes at the expense of fuel mileage. It is a compromise.

Most systems rely on EGR to reduce the optimal Air/Fuel ratio to prevent the formation of oxides of nitrogen by keeping flame front temperatures below the point at which they form. This COSTS extra fuel. A restrictive catalytic converter also costs fuel.

The best deal going today for both emissions and fuel economy is European Diesel passenger cars. The technology has advanced to the point where amount of polution per mile is excellent.

But don't try to sell a Diesel here! They're "dirty"!